


Embers and Snowflakes

by CountLestannaoftheVersEmpire



Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime), Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Kidnapping, Royals, Siblings, War, Water Tribe(s), sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-05
Updated: 2015-10-05
Packaged: 2018-04-19 14:05:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4749131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CountLestannaoftheVersEmpire/pseuds/CountLestannaoftheVersEmpire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Slaine had always wanted to meet his father. His mother and brother however did not like his curiosity as they were worried for his safety. He never listened ,getting into all sorts of trouble as always.<br/>Chapter one has been editted</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beginnings

**Author's Note:**

> This was written on impulse. It just happened so updates may be rare. I'm so sorry . Welp. I'm not a good fanric writer yet.  
> I will not be following Atla's plot line  
> This fic will follow it's own plot with slightly similar scenes to Az Canon.  
> Enjoy reading!

Long ago, a lady from the cold lands of the south met a man from the searing hot nation of Volcanoes in the lands where the people of Earth dwelled. They fell in love and the man decided to court her in the ways of the water tribe and gave her a betrothal necklace he had carved from a bright blue stone found in the lake under the moonlight. She accepted it with joy filling her heart and went back to her home with him by her side.

 When their first child was born, they celebrated and vowed to always be there by their son’s side. They named him, ’Slaine Mihir Tikani’. A beautiful name for the wielder of fire born in the coldest of winter nights in the South Pole under the full moon.

However, their time together as a family did not last. Mihir’s father was called back to his lands for reasons unknown. He and his mother never saw him again. Six month old Slaine had cried for weeks when his father left. His mother held him close and kept him warm during those few weeks to calm him down.

As the years went by, Slaine only saw his mother grow more distant and space out more but for her son she tried her best to remain happy and play with him whenever she could. At the age of five, he gained an older brother, Harklight.  He knew Harklight well as they had played together quite often but until then Harklight had not been his brother. Harklight had just lost both his parents to raids from the fire nation. Slaine hugged Harklight tightly and welcomed him to the family by gifting him a traditional boomerang.

On his sixth birthday, his mother passed him her Betrothal necklace and told him to keep it safe. Slaine had begun to grow much attached to the sun by then and sat down to meditate under it whenever he could, as though soaking up energy from it. “A fire bender always rises with the sun” he remembered his father chuckling while saying that.

 He practiced fire bending in a secluded spot while Harklight trained with his Water tribe club and boomerang. Slaine, having lived in the cold South Pole had become proficient at controlling his inner fire. The only strange aspect to his fire bending was that his fire was teal in colour, the colour of his eyes. Slaine didn’t realise that it was strange of course and continued his training. His mother had told him of his father, the man who melted his way into her heart and so lovingly held Slaine in his arms when he had been a new born. Slaine wanted to see the land of fire one day. Maybe meet his father and reunite his family once more.

 Harklight was an amazing brother who always protected him from danger. He was still ostracized by the other kids in the village of course but Harklight was always there for him. When Slaine began having nightmares, Harklight would hug him and console him till he went to sleep. The nightmares of being taken away were getting more frequent. Slaine didn’t know what was taking him away. The mornings after the nightmare were times when Slaine would get really jumpy and cautious. Every shadow scared him. It felt like someone was watching him on those days.

 At the age of seven, he met a wolf in the wild areas of the South Pole when he had gone out fishing with Harklight. The wolf had had a wounded leg. Slaine cautiously went towards it with respect as the wolf was the symbol and deity of the water tribe. With the help of Harklight he gently carried it back to their tribe to treat its wound. The wolf recovered fast and developed an attachment to Slaine and started following him everywhere, intimidating anyone who came near him to bully him. The elders of the village began respecting him and calling him the young chief. He found it strange that they would make him chief when he was a fire bender. Even if he were good at it, he loathed his ability. He hated the fact that he had hurt Harklight with it once. Harklight only urged him to practice bending more so that he could control it better. His mother however was not so happy with it and sternly told Slaine not to practice his fire bending. She feared that the fire nation would take away her precious son as well but of course Slaine didn’t know that.

Slaine awoke that morning to the sound of the fireplace crackling beside him. He smiled, before standing and running out of the igloo. The sun was barely out but Slaine being who he was, rose with it. He went back inside to meditate. For some reason it always made him feel better and more confident to take on the day. After an hour of meditating he went to wake his mother and Harklight. He gently nudged his mother, kissing her on the cheek before running over to Harklight and poke him constantly till he awoke. Harklight jumped awake before exclaiming. “Wait? What! Are we being attacked again? “

Slaine giggled before splashing some water on Harklight’s face.

“Oh come on Rain. Why do you always have to wake me up like that?” Harklight groggily stood up. “Besides a man of the water tribe wakes with the moon!”

“That’s because you never wake up if I don’t! Then tell me Harklight what am I? A tiger seal?”

“No no no Slaine you are definitely a water tribe man. I’m sorry.”

“Boys, stop bickering and help me out with the chores. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes!” Their mother shouted from the cooking area of their little tent house.

“Alright! First one to finish all the chores gets the biggest bowl of Sea prunes!” Harklight shouted enthusiastically before grinning at Slaine and dashing off to make his bed.

“Oh come on you had a head start!” Slaine whined before running off to finish his chores as well.

When Slaine was done, he walked to the dining area finding Harklight already gobbling up all his food. “Mom! Harklight ate my bowl of Sea prunes too” Slaine complained. His familiar, Tharsis sat beside him digging into the seal Jerky given to him

Slaine’s mother ruffled his hair before giving him another bowl of sea prunes. “I always make extra for my boys. Don’t you ever worry about going without breakfast. Your big brother is growing fast and needs more food after all!”

Slaine hungrily begins eating his food before saying,” Hey mum. Can Harklight and I go penguin sledding today?”

His mother upon hearing that went silent and dropped the spoon

 “Alright but make sure to be back before lunch. Just promise me that you’ll run straight back when you see Black snow. Both of you! Harklight dear make sure you take care of Slaine out there.” Their mother looked at both of them sternly.

“I promise mother!”

She looked over at Harklight and nodded.

“I promise to bring him back safe mum.”

“YAY! LET’S GO HARKY. THARSIS YOU TOO!”

Slaine jumped up happily having finished his breakfast. He ran up to hug his mother and telling her that they were going out before grabbing his parka and exiting the igloo while dragging Harklight who hadn’t finished his breakfast along with him.

“RAIN wait wait aaaahhh my parka!”

Their mother came out and told Slaine to stop for a while before handing Harklight his parka and hiving him a kiss on the forehead. She looked at both of them seriously.

“Now boys. If you see black snow, Get back home immediately. Do not stay there. Got it?”

Both Harklight and Slaine nodded in unison knowing how serious a matter this was and hugged their mother before running off.

“Now don’t get into trouble again! Get back home on time!”

“Yes mother! Don’t worry we’ll be back!” Slaine said while he ran off with Harklight with the fish he was going to use to get the otter penguins to let him ride them.

 

“Rain please slow down. You might slip and fall!”

“Don’t worry about it Harky! I’m used to this just as you are. Keep up slow poke!”

 Tharsis ran alongside Slaine. He sniffed the air and started howling all of a sudden.

 “Tharsis ssshh you’ll scare the otter penguins. Stay here okay? Follow us if you think I’m in trouble.” Slaine soothingly pet Tharsis before moving silently to the otter penguins and luring them in with his bait. Harklight had already mounted a penguin by then and was waiting for Slaine to hurry up. Slaine finally mounted his somewhat playful penguin and looked at Harklight with a challenging look.

“LET’S SEE WHO REACHES THE BOTTOM FIRST! You ready?”

“Oh it’s on Rain!” Harklight smirked and urged his penguin to move forward first.

 Slaine hurriedly urged his extremely playful penguin to move forward and yelped as it began dashing through the spirals of ice and sliding over the slopes with ease, faster than Harklight’s. Back where Tharsis was, a small black snowflake fell on his nose. Alarmed, he began howling loudly and immediately began to run in the direction Slaine and Harklight had gone down. Slaine laughed as he went down extremely fast feeling like he was alive. He was flying. He felt free. He wished he could do this more often. If only mother would let him. He was sure not all fire benders were evil. There had been whispers of him having a father from the fire nation. That was the only theory in which he believed in. He hoped to meet his father one day.

He had always been interested in learning more about the fire nation and the other nations. Maybe one day he’d get a chance. He reached the bottom first and before him stood a huge intimidating metal ship with red and gold tips and dragon designs. He remembered seeing some of them a long time ago. For some reason, he found himself mesmerized by the ship. It looked beautiful to him. Suddenly, the ship’s front came down showing an entrance of sorts. He immediately went to hide behind a huge chunk of ice. He was worried.

 Harklight had yet to come and there were fire nation troops walking in at the very place he had stopped and gotten of the penguin. Out of nowhere hands wrapped around his mouth and Slaine almost bit it and screamed in alarm before realising that it was just Harklight. They quietly hid behind the chunk of ice hoping the troops won’t notice them.

“Captain Trillram, are the other troops stationed at the areas as planned?”

“Yes General Cruhteo, everything is going as planned” Trillram replied with a slight smirk

“Excellent! Let us move on forward and finally conquer the water tribe and take that firebender child I heard of back to the fire nation! I still do not understand the royal family’s obsession with that water tribe abomination. However, orders are still orders. They probably think that useless child is the avatar.” General Cruhteo replied.

General Cruhteo brought up a hand. ”Wait. Do you hear that?”

“Is that howling sir? Wait is …that a wolf heading in our distance?”

“It seems rabid end its misery when it gets here. Firebenders stay at guard. There may be more on the way”

Slaine realising that it was Tharsis heading this way let’s out a gasp which was thankfully covered by the strong wind. He whispered, “Harklight I have to help him.

Harklight looked at Slaine with a stern look and shaked his head. “Slaine Mihir Tikaani don’t you dare. Please Slaine don’t”

Slaine glared at Harklight and said, “Just because you don’t like Tharsis doesn’t mean you shouldn’t help me protect him”

Slaine jumped over the chunk of ice and stood before the troops and fire bent at them before they could hit Tharsis with their fireballs. He began attacking them with skill. Finally.all his days of secret training were paying off. A boomerang joined in to hit the guards. Captain Trillram and General Cruhteo evaded these attacks skilfully.

 “Well well well what do we have here? It’s the fire bending prodigy!” Trillram exclaimed while hitting Slaine and pinning him to the ground while the guards grabbed hold of Harklight and Tharsis.

“And it seems the fire bending prodigy has a pet! Oh and look here a brother too! General Cruhteo what shall we do with them?”

“Please Sir! Leave Tharsis and my brother alone! I-I’ll come with you in peace but only if Tharsis can come too because I don’t want him attacking you again!”

“SLAINE NO. WHAT WILL MOTHER SAY?”

Slaine gently smiles at Harklight and says, “It’s alright Harklight. Tell mother I’ll be fine and I’ll come back as promised. Maybe I’ll meet father right?”

“How touching. You might do well in the fire nation after all scum. Fine we will take you back to the fire nation and leave your fellow….scum alone. Captain Trillram, lock the piece of filth and his savage animal separately.  Send a hawk to the other troops to stop the plan and tell them we will be heading back to the fire nation.”

General Cruhteo glares at Harklight and says,” As for you take your useless thing and run while you can before I change my mind” while throwing his boomerang back at him.

Captain Trillram kicked Slaine into the ship and threw him into a room with a bed and locked him in, while the guards muzzled Tharsis and threw him into the cages below the ship.

Slaine limped over to the bed and curled up before starting to cry. He hadn’t gotten to say goodbye to Harklight. He wondered if he’ll ever see his mother again and if going with the fire nation soldiers would really lead him to finding his father. He hoped Tharsis was doing fine. Maybe he’ll finally learn to fire bend well. No matter how much he tried cheering up over his situation he only managed to cry more. He already missed his mother’s sea prunes. He hoped mother would do fine without him. At least….he won’t be a bother to Harklight anymore. Cruhteo seemed cruel but he was sure he could handle him hopefully. He looked around his room hoping to see a window. There were none. The sink beside him had a tap.

“Drip…Drip. Drip”

 Slaine decided to stare at the calming water before finally falling asleep tired from crying and curled up in his parka smelling the scent of home.

Back home Harklight had finally told his mother what had happened. Slaine was celebrated as a hero by the village for finally making the fire nation leave. However, that very day his mother fell sick longing for her son. Harklight had to take over. Things had only gotten worse.

Their beautiful ember was gone.


	2. The fire nation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slaine's first time in the fire nation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there!  
> welcome to the second chapter haha.  
> This took a while as there were many things I had to edit. I've been out of the writing game for far too long ehehe......  
> Thank you to Ryoku sama for Betaing this chapter. It may not be up to standard yet but I hope it is an improvement..

Sinking….

Sinking…..

Down down below the depths.

What he was sinking in?

He didn’t know. Pitch black water surrounded him. He wasn’t drowning but it felt like he was. Slaine let out short breaths. He felt cold and couldn’t hear a thing.  He frantically opened his eyes and looked up, seeing the full moon. A soft echoing voice of his mother and Harklight could be heard in the distance.

_Where am I? Mother? Harklight?_

He shouted out nervously feeling a chill run down his spine

Only dark shadows surrounded him whispering.

**Filth**

**Scum**

**You don’t deserve to be among us**

**Leave with your savage pet**

**You promised Slaine…..You promised.**

_What’s going on? Stop saying that! Stop STOP. Please. Tharsis is not savage!_

Suddenly, the water began choking him and the last thing he saw before he woke up was Harklight looking at him and whispering,

_Where are you Rain?_

 He sat up gasping for air and hugged himself tightly as goose bumps appeared on his skin. The ship was cold, dark and uncomfortable as usual. Slaine looked around and noticed his guard sleeping soundly on a chair a little further away from his cell. Dim light was coming from one of the fire torches outside his cell.

_So it was all just a nightmare._

He picked up his now worn down parka and hugged it tightly to himself before lying down on the uncomfortable bed. He closed his eyes trying to sleep before opening them again and sitting up to look at the cell’s bars.

_I’m scared._

Slaine began to trace the carved lines on his mother’s betrothal necklace which was currently tied to his left wrist with his right arm gently, thinking of Harklight and his mother.

_I wonder what they are doing now. I miss them. I hope at least Tharsis has been able to sleep recently._

He frowns to himself remembering how Tharsis had been chained up in his cramped cage with little to no meat given to him and his fur having lost its healthy sheen. It had been a few months now and Tharsis had seemed to have lost weight. Not only had he lost his weight he had been less playful recently. Slaine remembered being brought to Tharsis’ holding cell to calm him down as from what they had told him, Tharsis had been acting aggressive to all of them. Slaine had to also bandage up and place supports on Tharsis’ injured legs. Trillram had made a casual comment on how he had accidentally kicked Tharsis and broke his hind legs. Seeing Tharsis’ poor treatment had made Slaine want to punch Trillram and he had. The bastard had only laughed and in the end his actions resulted in him being unable to see Tharsis for days and being confined to his cell with no food for a day.

_I wish I could keep Tharsis safe but what power do I have compared to these powerful men. I don’t even know how to defend myself from Captain Cruhteo._

He clenched his fists angry at himself for not being able to protect those he cared about before sighing and curling up on his bed tired with the parka acting like a blanket while closing his eyes once more. His breaths became longer and soon he had fallen sound asleep. This time with no dreams.

He woke up to a rough voice coming from the other side of the cell. It came from a different guard from last night. It was always a different guard.

“Wake up ye filth! We’ll arrive soon.”

The guard threw a plate of food into his little prison and left. It had been a few weeks since the ship had set sail from the water tribes and Slaine knew he was very very far from home. He had slowly begun losing hope of going back and had decided to try getting stronger by continuing to meditate. He still woke up from nightmares and found himself crying while hugging his parka tightly but as the days went by he got used to them and silently followed the orders that were given to him.

He had met the Captain up close alone a few days ago and had come back with his back and soul bruised and beaten. Asking to have Tharsis moved in with him had cost him another full day with no meals. The past few weeks hadn’t been pleasant but Slaine learned quickly. Stay silent and follow all orders without mistake and you shall not be punished too harshly. Sometimes, Slaine was able to sneak in some more meat for Tharsis to eat. He would sit beside him silently brushing his hands through his fur and whisper to him to help Tharsis calm down until he was called back to do some work or to go back to his own cell. Those few minutes spent with Tharsis had helped Slaine feel better about his situation. He was glad he still had Tharsis with him. They met a few ships on the way but Slaine had been locked up below deck in his cell during those times.

Slaine looked down at the food and picked up the plate of burnt porridge. They hadn’t given him any utensils again.

 

He slowly began to eat knowing that he needed the strength to survive no matter how horrible it may taste.

_Endure_

_Endure_

_Don’t fall…_

_You…can….do this_

But all he could remember was how his mother used to lovingly place his bowl of food in front of him and pat his back, how Harklight would sometimes steal his portions and how they used to tease each other and laugh together.

_I miss mother….I want Harky to steal my bowl again. I …I want Tharsis with me…I...I_

Tears slipped into his burnt porridge making it saltier. Slaine wept silently and ate, forcing the horrid food down his throat. The food felt slimy and disgusting when it went down his throat and he felt like throwing up. He could feel his stomach protesting already. Fighting back the urge to vomit, he walked over to the slightly grimy basin in his cell.

_Water… I need_

He coughed before slowly moving his mouth to catch a few droplets of water dripping from the tap in his small cell. Deciding to give up on eating anymore, he moved back to his, no the fire nation’s bed and hugged himself feeling that sleeping would be a better option. The bed felt cold as usual but for the first time in weeks he was able to sleep without dreams.

 

 

 

 

Slaine screamed in pain when he was rudely awoken by Trillram who had kicked him roughly off the bed.

“Get up you lazy abomination. We have arrived. Guards chain his wrists and legs. We don’t want him trying to escape. I can’t believe this wimp gets to see the Fire Lord alone. Consider yourself lucky scum.” Trillram roughly pushed Slaine up towards the entrance of the ship .Slaine inwardly rejoiced at being able to be under the sun once more. His eyes however, complained at the sudden bright light and made him slow down which only made Trillram kick him more. Slaine glanced back at Trillram annoyed. Luckily Trillram hadn’t noticed.

 He trudged down towards the docks with guards surrounding him. As Slaine’s eyes got acquainted to the light once again he saw the lively fire nation capital for the first time. Everything was so…Red and colourful. He could hear merchants advertising from a distance and a gong ringing from afar. He looked behind hoping to see Tharsis but before he could spot his companion, Trillram pushed him into a strange vehicle being pulled by animals he had never seen before. He heard someone calling it a Komodo Rhino carriage.

_Such a lively place. That animal must be called a Komodo Rhino and this must be a carriage. The palace must be up that mountain but I don’t see anything up there….._

“Sir? I-if I m-may ask. I-is the palace u-up there?” This was new, what was wrong with him? He had never stuttered before. Why did he feel small all of a sudden? Slaine placed his hands on his mouth and looked away.

Trillram had decided to start examining his nails and ignored him.

_He ignored me…._

Slaine looked down disappointed and looked out of the open carriage window as they passed by some rice fields .As they went up the mountain he saw more and more elaborate houses clearly owned by nobles. Small intricate statues decorated the front of the houses, with red tapestries hanging over the entrances. Finally they reached the outer wall of the city, where they were let in after a carriage check. Slaine’s eyes widened with wonder as he realised that the city was in fact in a crater of sorts full of the richest looking houses with the most elaborate décor. Some of the nobles walked around with elegance while the children ran around playing happily. He looked at the walls of the city once more before remembering something and smiling. It was one of his most treasured memories.

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~

“Mum! Mum! Tell me something about the lands of Fire! Just one story plleeaaassseee???”

“Alright my little one just one” Slaine’s mother tickled him as he jumped around trying to escape the clutches of the tickling monster while laughing.

“But first you have to get in bed my dear!”

“But mum! I’m not tired yet” he yawned while saying so.

“Alright if you say so. No story time for you then!” His mother smiled before starting to walk out.

“Okay! Okay! I’ll get in bed. Please tell me about the lands of fire. Please mum?” He ran over to his mother excited and tugged at her top and then jumping into his bed of furs. Tharsis had been quietly grooming himself beside Slaine’s bed while watching Slaine run around happily.

“Tharsis wants to know too! Please mum. Pretty please?” Tharsis looked at Slaine as though puzzled as to why he was being brought into this and stood up before snuggling close to Slaine.

“Alright. Once upon a time, the Fire nation was being attacked by many many dragons and they didn’t have a place to call their own. Every time they built a village, a dragon would burn it to ashes. The fire lord was at a loss on what to do and he decided to take a small group of people around with him to see if there was a safe place to build a city that was safe for the people of fire. “

Slaine had watched with wonder and interest in his eyes as his mother re-enacted the story with her gestures and beautiful water bending.

“While he was looking for a safe haven, the fire lord came across four dragons blessed by Agni himself. His small group of soldiers decided to attack when they saw the dragons but the fire lord stopped them and stood tall before bowing before these dragons. A great voice burst forth from one of the majestic dragons. _Rise leader of Agni’s children. What is it that you seek?_ The fire lord rose before telling the dragons of his troubles. _You may build your city above our lairs on the caldera. No other dragon will dare cross it as long as we are there. However, you must respect us as we respect you. If you fail to do so, we will leave you and Agni’s wrath shall befall you._ And so, the fire lord brought his people to the caldera and built his city while the great dragons protected it from all harm. Even now, the fire lord and his people live there. The end.”

“Mum, what’s a caldera?”

“Your Father told me that it was a tall mountain that had a hole in the middle. The city was built in that hole and is protected by the walls the mountain made around it”

“Wow mother it sounds amazing. I want to see it one day.” Slaine looked up at his mother with innocent eyes.

His mother looked at him lovingly and said, “One day my dear, One day” and kissed him on the forehead before putting out the lamp.

“Good night my little one. May the moon protect you in your dreams.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

               

 

_A caldera….. Wow it looks as amazing as the one mother water bent and showed me. In fact it looks even better. Oh mother you would have loved seeing this. I wonder if the dragons still live and protect the city like in the story. The other children look so happy playing here. I wonder if I’ll be able to make friends._

 “S-sir w-will I be able to play with the o-others?” He asked after having worked up the courage to ask that one question. He was stuttering again. This time Trillram had noticed.

The man gave him a condescending look and laughed. Slaine looked at the man baffled as to why he was laughing. “You? Making friends among the noble folk’s children? Ha! How laughable. If you’re lucky you’ll become their servant!” Trillram gave a disgusted look and punched Slaine’s face bruising his cheekbone. Slaine clutched at his cheek in pain and held back his tears. He tasted blood.

“Know your place water tribe abomination” Trillram pulled back his hand and continued to examine his nails. What was so interesting about them, Slaine did not know.

_I…have to be strong. For mother and Harklight’s sake. I shouldn’t cry in front of him. I have to get stronger. I must get through this and see Tharsis. All they’ve called me is those horrible things but why? Am I not like them? I can fire bend like most of them. Why? I don’t understand. I want to go home. I miss home. Where did they take Tharsis? I don’t think I’ll find father here. What if he thought the same? It’s okay it’s okay I will get through this._

“We don’t have time here hurry up!” Trillram barked to the soldier handling the rhinos. The soldier urged the Rhinos to speed up and so Slaine couldn’t see the surroundings as well as before anymore. He didn’t want to see them anymore anyway. He silently wept and looked up as the carriage slowed to a halt. Puffing out his chest slightly to give himself a little confidence, he stood up and wiped his tears. He put up a strong façade before following behind Trillram out of the carriage. It was the first mask he wore to hide his weak self.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slaine found himself being pushed along by a guard this time. Trillram had complained about being sickened by his presence before leaving. The palace’s interior was adorned with rare tapestries, vases and portraits of the past fire lords. As he was being pushed along, one fire lord in particular stood out in his eyes. He was pale with bright yellow hair and sharp green eyes that made Slaine want to cower in fear and bow. Slaine concluded that he had looked unearthly in the portrait before he was pushed into a room with high ceilings and a platform which was surrounded by flame. There were golden dragons circling around the red pillars and two more surrounding the wall behind the altar covered by flame. All he saw behind the flame was a shadow.

_What is this fear I feel. The compulsion to kneel down. So the person behind…must be the fire lord_

 The guards pushed him into a kneeling position with the chains still around his legs and arms.

A chilling voice that sent shivers down Slaine’s spine came from behind the flames.

“What is your name boy?”

“S-s-slaine y-your majesty” He managed to stammer out.

“Speak up! The fire nation does not condone weakness but of course a water tribe abomination like you wouldn’t know that.” He could imagine the person sneering at him behind the flames.

Slaine grit his teeth before loudly saying his name, some of his held in anger at being called those horrible names coming through.

“It’s Slaine Mihir Tikaani Your Majesty!”

“Now that wasn’t so hard was it?” The shadow like figure stood up and moved past the fire and towards him, placing his hand on Slaine’s chin making Slaine look at him directly. The fire lord was the same person in the portrait from earlier. The one with piercing green eyes. The fire lord looked him straight in the eye as though he were looking into Slaine’s soul.

“So young. So you were the son of Troyard. It seems he didn’t give you his last name.”

Anger flashed past those green eyes before he scowled.

“That traitor.”

Slaine’s eyes widened as his father was mentioned. He nervously gulped before asking.

“Y-you knew m-my father?”

“Of course I did! Best strategist and advisor in the army but what did he do? He deserted his nation and me!”

The flames behind the fire lord rose up high as he spoke making him look all the more intimidating.

“And then he fathered you!” The fire lord looked back at Slaine and laughed haughtily.

The Fire lord looked at Slaine with a mocking smile before saying.

“I killed him after all.”

The fire lord looked intently at Slaine to observe his reaction while smiling creepily.

“After all weaklings like him shouldn’t live. So tell me are you a weakling like he was?”

The Fire lord walked around Slaine like a dragon ready to kill its prey. His jade green eyes paralysing Slaine with fright.

Slaine looked too shocked at the sudden news to reply. He gasped as though the air around him was being sucked away. He couldn’t take it but he had to endure.

_He’s lying. He’s lying. Father must be alive right?_

_Right?_

“Y-you’re lying! Father promised to come back for us! Y-you’re lying.”

All colour drained from Slaine’s face, but his eyes they held a flame that screamed

**DON’T TOUCH ME**

The fire lord withdrew back a little at Slaine’s expression before laughing and walking back to sit on the altar. Slaine continued to glare at the fire lord with fury in his eyes and struggled in his chains.

“You’re not a weakling after all.”

The fire lord calmly lowered the flames that had risen around the altar from his anger down. Remembering how this boy’s father was, he spoke.

“Nothing like your father.”

He closed his eyes as though deep in thought. Slaine continued to glare at the fire lord as though daring him to say anything more. The fire lord’s calm, chilling voice loudly commanded.

“It is decided! You shall stay in the fire nation. I am Fire lord Gilzeria. It has been a pleasure to make your acquaintance…Slaine Troyard. I look forward to…more of our talks in the future.”

Gilzeria laughed tauntingly once more and signalled the guards to take Slaine away. Slaine angrily struggled against the chains while he was being pulled out and screamed.

“Y-you MONSTER!”

“It will be fun watching this pathetic child break” Gilzeria muttered to himself and smirked. He signalled to his servant to bring him some tea.

Once they were out Slaine slipped into unconsciousness exhausted from the traumatizing encounter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slaine awoke in a room with a wet towel covering his forehead. He heard whispers coming from outside.

“The fire lord…..too rough on ….he is traumatized….just…a child…that tiger wolf”

A lady with long black hair slid the door open coming in with a few pots of salve and food.

“Ah you’re awake. Sit up child. I need to re-apply the salve for your bruises”

Slaine flinched back as the lady touched him.

“It’s alright child. I won’t hurt you. My goodness they didn’t have to be so rough on you. I’m sorry you had to go through that dear.” The lady looked at Slaine concerned and moved her hands hesitantly. Slaine nodded allowing her to treat his bruises.

Slaine silently let the lady re apply the salve and quietly ate his food, too tired to think of anything. He whispered a quiet thank you to the nice lady before going back to sleep. In his dreams, he saw Tharsis and his brother playing. He hoped he’d get to see Tharsis soon.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I'll be starting my 3rd chapter tomorrow so hopefully it'll be updated by next week?  
> Yep.  
> Any suggestions on plot are welcome

**Author's Note:**

> I hope that was good? Please do tell me if You have suggestions for this au .


End file.
